The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 43, 1670-1700: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 43, 1670-1700: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
The principal datos show their greatness by the use of enormous vases,
where they keep rare and curious articles. Those vases are used at the
same time for the storing of food. The águnes are not less esteemed by
them, but the things held in highest estimation both by rulers and by
subjects are certain quadrangular prismatic boxes like small coffers,
which are ornamented on the outer part and on all their sides with
two cuarto coins, in the form of very symmetrical and harmonious
designs. In those boxes they keep their clothes and weapons. The
weapons which they use most are balaraos of greater or less value,
which they acquire from the Manobos of Agusan, in exchange for cloth,
maize, camotes, salt, etc., etc.; the bangcao, or spear that they use
both for hunting and for fighting with their enemies and for their
exploits, one of which is the capturing and enslaving of children,
after they have assassinated their parents. The said spears are
generally of an excellent temper, as are also their bolos, and a
certain other weapon called kris, which has been seen at times in
the possession of the Buquidnons and is without doubt acquired from
the Moros. For besides it being well-known that the Buquidnons have
communication with the Moros by means of the river Pulangui, the said
krises have Moro inscriptions and seals. I had a bolo in my hands
whose handle or hilt surpassed many krises in value, for since it was
of a dark, very hard and heavy wood, which I thought to be manconó
[158] it had many large incrustations of silver, and from some of the
silver which had been lost I discovered that they were not merely thin
plates but pieces of quite a large size. The corresponding scabbard
was of baticulin [159] and was worked with great skill.
Father Barrado of whom I have made mention a while ago assured me that
he had seen among these heathens one who had a coat-of-mail made of
brass plates, of very thick wire of the same metal and ornaments of
silver, which was made to cover all the breast and the back. It would
be difficult to say from whom and in what manner they obtained them,
but according to the method in which they are constructed and by
what I have been able to ascertain they appear to be very ancient,
and, consequently, worthy of being exhibited in any museum of arms
or antiquities. They have other more common ones which they make
themselves, and which consist of certain bolsters about three fingers
thick, well quilted, which cover their breast and back, not only from
the darts but also from the spears of their enemies. The petty rulers
of this race bind their temples with the pinditón which is a crown
of cloth with three points, that of the center being the largest,
and all of them ornamented in the style of the mountain. I shall tell
on what occasions they make use of this crown.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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